Infant Carrier Holder

ABSTRACT

An infant carrier holder has a floor with a ramp and sidewalls and is mounted to a shopping cart. The ramp and sidewalls can contribute to stably supporting an infant carrier. The holder serves as a mechanical interface between an infant carrier, which can be received in the holder, and the shopping cart. The holder can be concavely shaped to assist in shopping cart nesting in addition to supporting a received infant carrier at a desired angle. The holder can be adjustably mounted to a gate or a basket of the shopping cart and may/may not interfere with nesting operations. The holder permits an infant carrier to be supported on a shopping cart without using a significant amount of shopping cart space or interfering with nesting operations.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/041,925, filed Sep. 30, 2013, which is a continuation ofInternational Application No. PCT/US2013/038818, filed Apr. 30, 2013,which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/385,608, filedMay 1, 2012, all of the above-mentioned disclosures being herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

(Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a support for an infantcarrier, and relates more particularly to an infant carrier holder foruse with a shopping cart.

Infant carriers are well known and widely used for transporting infantsin a variety of circumstances. In the case of transporting an infant ina motor vehicle, infant carrier manufacturers sometimes provide a basethat can be securely installed in a rear seating area of the motorvehicle and can accept an infant carrier in a secure engagement. Thecombination of infant carrier and base can provide a stable and fixedtransport platform so that an infant in such a carrier can be securelyand safely transported in the motor vehicle. Some infant carriers areconfigured to be secured in a rear seating area of a motor vehiclewithout a mating base. Typically, the infant carrier is designed to beeasily releasable from the motor vehicle securement to permit ease ofmanual transport. Some types of infant carriers are also configured tobe releaseably secured to a stroller, to permit the infant carrier to betransported without necessarily manually carrying the infant carrier.

In each of the configurations where an infant carrier mates to a base orstroller for transport, the mating configuration is typicallyproprietary to the infant carrier manufacturer. Accordingly, an infantcarrier made in accordance with one manufacturer's design does nottypically engage with or mate with a transport base or cart that isprovided in accordance with another manufacturer's design. As a result,infant carriers tend to be usable with transport mechanisms that arespecifically designed for that type of infant carrier, and no others.

A shopper with an infant in an infant carrier is often challenged withregard to transporting the infant, infant carrier and a shopping cartthat is intended for transporting goods selected by the shopper in ashopping environment. The infant carrier is not ideally placed in abasket of the shopping cart, since little room is left for selectedgoods, and the carrier may not be stably secured. If the infant carrieris mated to an associated stroller that is specific to the infantcarrier design, the shopping customer is challenged to transport theinfant carrier-stroller combination and the shopping cart in a shoppingenvironment.

Alternately, the shopper may opt to manually transport the infant in theinfant carrier while pushing the shopping cart, which raises another setof challenges. For example, it may be physically difficult for theshopper to carry the infant carrier throughout the shopping experience.The shopper may set the infant carrier on a floor of the shoppingenvironment while selecting goods, for example, which represents achallenge for protection of the infant from potential dangers such asmay be presented from dropped objects, being a tripping hazard, or beinghit by shopping carts. In addition, the infant is located near to thepotentially unsanitary surface of the shopping environment floor.

Recognizing some of these challenges, some infant carrier manufacturershave produced designs intended to be used with popular shopping cartmodels that permit the infant carrier to be located on a shopping cartin a somewhat stable arrangement. For example, the infant carrier may beconfigured to cooperate with the handle, gate or foldout seatback of ashopping cart to obtain a somewhat stable perch for the infant carrier.This approach to meeting the above-noted challenges of handling aninfant carrier in a shopping environment has several drawbacks. Forexample, the infant carrier tends to be mounted on the shopping cart ata fairly high location relative to the shopping cart center of gravity,potentially increasing the tip-over risk of the infant carrier or theshopping cart in combination with the infant carrier. In addition, theinfant carrier configuration tends to be fairly specific to themanufacturer, as noted above, so that the infant carrier is not usablewith all varieties of shopping carts, which tend to vary significantlyamong retail establishments. Accordingly, the customer with an infant inan infant carrier faces a number of challenges in shopping environmentsin general.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided an infantcarrier holder for use with a shopping cart. The infant carrier holderaccommodates a wide variety of infant carriers in a stable arrangementon a wide variety of shopping carts. The infant carrier holder can bemounted to a variety of shopping carts that may have significantlydifferent configurations.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the infant carrierholder acts as a mechanical interface between an infant carrier and ashopping cart. The infant carrier holder can be stably secured to amajority of various shopping cart designs, and can accommodate andstably support a majority of infant carrier designs.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the infant carrierholder is configured to be nestable, in that the infant carrier holdercan receive at least a portion of another infant carrier holder,especially when the infant carrier holder is mounted on a nestableshopping cart. In addition, the infant carrier holder is stackable,e.g., for storage and shipping, so that a number of infant carrierholders can be maintained in a smaller amount of space.

According to another aspect, the infant carrier holder includes one ormore projections that protrude from an upwardly facing surface. Theprojection(s) is (are) configured and arranged to provide support for aninfant carrier placed atop the infant carrier holder such that theinfant carrier is generally stabilized when placed atop the infantcarrier holder in cooperation with the projection(s).

According to another aspect, the infant carrier includes one or moreupright walls located at a lateral edge of the infant carrier holder.Each wall can contribute to stabilizing the infant carrier in the infantcarrier holder, such as by preventing translational lateral movement ofthe infant carrier. The one or more upright walls can also contribute tolocating the infant carrier in relation to the projection(s) discussedabove, so that the stabilizing relationship obtained between the infantcarrier and the projection(s) can be established and maintained.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides a mechanismfor contributing to securing the infant carrier to the infant carrierholder. For example, a strap affixed to the infant carrier holder can besecured around the infant carrier to maintain the infant carrier in theinfant carrier holder. The strap may be configured to have a buckle thatcan be readily clasped and unclasped to secure and free the infantcarrier, respectively. The strap may be adjustable to permit a customfit to the size and shape of the infant carrier. Any other types ofsecuring mechanisms may readily be used with the infant carrier holder,including such mechanisms as harnesses, releasable clamps, elastic cordsor other components, retractable stay-bars, and any other mechanismsthat can contribute to securing the infant carrier to the infant carrierholder.

According to another aspect, the mounting mechanism for the infantcarrier holder is adjustable, to permit a secure attachment to a varietyof shopping carts. According to one aspect, the infant carrier holdercan be attached to a shopping cart gate, to permit the infant carrierholder to swing with the shopping cart gate, such as upon the shoppingcart being nested with another shopping cart, causing the gate to berotated upward. According to another aspect, the infant carrier holdercan be attached to the frame and handle of the shopping cart, to permitfree movement of a gate and foldout seat, so that the infant carrierholder does not obstruct the nesting action of the shopping cart.

According to another aspect, the infant carrier holder may be located onthe frame of the shopping cart within or above a region of the shoppingcart basket to avoid interference with the operation of nesting relatedcomponents of the shopping cart. The infant carrier holder is providedwith an attachment mechanism to permit mounting to various locations ona shopping cart, including locations that interfere or do not interferewith the nesting operation of the shopping cart. In some instances, somemounting locations for the infant carrier holder may be preferred forstability or ease of use, even though mounting the infant carrier inthose locations may cause the shopping cart to be non-nestable withother like shopping carts.

According to another aspect, the infant carrier holder is composed ofmaterial that resists influences of harsh environments, includingextremes of heat and cold and precipitation. The infant carrier holdermay be configured to include one or more openings to permit waterdrainage to avoid pooling caused by precipitation, for example. Thematerial of the infant carrier holder may be chosen to be able to resistimpacts, such as may occur from contact with other carts or infantcarrier holders, as well as other objects typical of a typical shoppingenvironment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in greater detailbelow, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder as used with ashopping cart in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the infant carrier holder as usedwith a shopping cart in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder as used witheach of two nested shopping carts in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the infant carrier holder inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder as used with ashopping cart in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the infant carrier holder as usedwith a shopping cart in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the infant carrier holder as used witheach of three nested shopping carts in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 10-12 are perspective views of another exemplary embodiment inaccordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This application is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/US2013/038818, filed Apr. 30, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/385,608, filed May 1, 2012, all of theabove-mentioned disclosures being hereby incorporated in their entiretyherein by reference.

The present disclosure provides an infant carrier holder for use with ashopping cart that can act as a mechanical interface between variousmodels of shopping carts and various models of infant carriers. Theinfant carrier holder can be adapted for use with a variety of shoppingcart models, and can contribute to securely accommodating infantcarriers of various models and types.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary embodiment of an infantcarrier holder 100, referred to herein as holder 100, is illustrated.Holder 100 has a generally concave shape and is sized to receive any ofvarious infant carriers (not shown). Holder 100 includes opposingsidewalls 102 and a rear wall 104. Sidewalls 102 and rear wall 104 areconnected together to form a concave shape in conjunction with aninterior lower surface or floor 106. The concave shape of holder 100provides lateral stability and support for an infant carrier placed atopholder 100 and generally in contact with and supported by floor 106.

Holder 100 includes ramps 110 that are situated near side walls 102 andtoward a front edge 108 of holder 100. Ramps 110 are arranged to have anarcuate upper surface 112 that extends in a curved shape from a highpoint 114 to be coextensive with floor 106. The curved shape of surface112 cooperates with a curved lower surface of an infant carrier to seatthe infant carrier in a stable position with respect to holder 100. Ingeneral, infant carriers have curved lower surfaces that can generallycooperate with surface 112 of ramp 110 to contribute to preventing theinfant carrier from sliding or changing position within holder 100. Thecurvature of the lower surface of infant carriers is typically an arc,which may be a circular arc that varies between model types andmanufacturers, but generally has a length within a range of from about15° to about 25°. The radius of curvature of the arc can be calculatedaccording to Equation 1

$\begin{matrix}{r = {\frac{W^{2}}{8H} + \frac{H}{2}}} & \left( {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)\end{matrix}$

where r is the radius of curvature, W is the width of the arc, and H isthe height of the arc.

The radius of curvature of surface 112 can be in the range of from about50 to about 200 inches, as calculated using Equation 1. The length ofthe arc described by surface 112 can be determined from the angularrange (in radians) of from about 15° to about 25° times the radius. Theshape and size of ramp 110 generally acts to prevent infant carriersplaced within holder 100 from rocking or sliding by cooperating with thelower curved surface of the infant carrier. In general, ramps 110 andcurved surfaces 112 provide a stabilizing support for infant carriersplaced atop and/or in holder 100 to permit various models of infantcarriers to be uniformly supported and stabilized on holder 100.

Holder 100 is intended to be usable with a shopping cart 150 (FIG. 2)that nests with other, like shopping carts 150. Two shopping carts 150,as shown in FIG. 4, can generally be nested by urging a front of oneshopping cart 150 through a gate opening 152 of another shopping cart150, tending to urge a gate 154 of the other shopping cart 150 upward ina pivoting motion. The nested shopping carts 150 tend to take up lessspace, and permit a number of nested shopping carts 150 to be handledall together. Holder 100 facilitates use on nestable shopping cart 150with the provision of openings, such as opening 120, for example, thatare located and sized to accommodate ramps 110 of another holder 100when holders 100 are installed on sequential, nested shopping carts. InFIG. 4, nested shopping carts 150 are shown with nested holders 100 thatinclude openings 120 that can accommodate ramps 110 when holders 100 arenested due to being mounted on nested shopping carts 150.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, holder 100 is shown in an exemplaryembodiment as having a number of through openings 130 arranged in floor106. Openings 130 permit fluids that might be collected by holder 100 todrain off of floor 106 through openings 130. For example, if holder 100is exposed to rain in an outdoor environment, holder 100 does notcollect the precipitation, instead permitting the rainwater to drainthrough openings 130. Similarly, if holder 100 is exposed to a spill ofliquid in a shopping environment, for example, the liquid can drainthrough openings 130 to avoid collection of liquid by holder 100. Theprovision of openings 130 also reduces the amount of material used toconstruct holder 100. It should be understood that openings 130 are notrequired, and can be omitted, or provided in any useful pattern toobtain the above-noted benefits.

Holder 100 also includes rails 140 located on upper edges of sidewalls102. Rails 140 are formed as outwardly curved portions of the upper edgeof sidewalls 102. Rails 140 provide a reinforcing structure forsidewalls 102, as well as providing a location for attachment of a strapportion 170, 172 that can be used to secure the infant carrier to holder100. For example, rails 140 may include a through opening 142, which canbe used to secure an end of strap portions 170, 172 to holder 100. Rails140 also are designed to permit a certain amount of overlap with rails140 of another nested holder 100 when two shopping carts 150 withholders 100 are nested together, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Rails 140thus have an upward slant from a rear to a front of shopping cart 150 towhich holder 100 is mounted. The upward slant of rails 140 thusaccommodates rails 140 of another nested holder 100 when holders 100 aremounted to sequentially nested shopping carts 150.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, holder100 includes straps 170, 172 that are attached at one end to side rails140, with another end attached to a respective buckle segment 174, 176.Straps 170, 172 can be coupled together around an infant carrier usingbuckle segments 174, 176 to secure the infant carrier in holder 100.Strap 172 includes an adjustment device 178 that can be used to adjust alength of strap 172. Although not shown in the drawings, strap 170 mayalternately or additionally include an adjustment device 178 to permitstrap 170 to be adjustable. The overall length of the combination ofstraps 170, 172 when coupled together with buckle segments 174, 176 canbe adjusted using adjustment device 178 to provide a snug and securearrangement for retaining the infant carrier in holder 100. For example,strap 172 can be adjusted using adjustment device 178 to lengthen adistance between side rail 140 and buckle segment 176 prior to couplingbuckle segments 174, 176 around an infant carrier placed in holder 100.Such an adjustment permits buckle segments 174, 176 to be coupledwithout significant tension being placed on straps 170, 172. Strap 172can then be adjusted to tighten straps 170, 172 around the infantcarrier using adjustment device 178 to secure the infant carrier inholder 100. It should be apparent that other types of adjustment devicesor securing mechanisms may be used together with, or in place of straps170, 172, adjustment device 178 and/or buckle segments 174, 176. Suchexamples may include harnesses, releasable clamps, elastic cords orother elastic components, retractable stay bars, and any other mechanismthat can contribute to securing the infant carrier in holder 100. Forexample, buckle segments 174, 176 can incorporate one or more adjustmentdevices, such as adjustment device 178, or can incorporate one or moresecuring mechanisms to secure straps 170, 172.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, holder 100 is mounted to shopping cart150 with brackets 210, 220. Bracket 210 includes vertical members 212with openings 214, 216 and 218, which can be used to secure verticalmember 212 to shopping cart 150. The placement of openings 214, 216 and218 on vertical member 212 allow for adjustment in the attachment ofbracket 210 to shopping cart 150. Opening 216 is a slotted opening,which permits additional flexibility in securing vertical member 212 toshopping cart 150. Shopping carts 150 can have varying tolerances intheir construction among carts of the same model that can beaccommodated by the variable securing location permitted by opening 216being slotted in shape. In addition, different model carts may be usedin the same retail establishment, which differences can be accommodatedwith the variety of securing locations provided by openings 214, 216 and218. For example, either opening 214 or 218 may be located and securedto a particular point on a sidewall of a cart such as shopping cart 150or a different model cart. Opening 216 may then be used to securebracket 210 to the cart at a variable securing location by beingslotted. By providing openings 214, 216 and 218 in this configuration, anumber of shopping cart configurations, including that of shopping cart150, can be accommodated for mounting holder 100.

The locations of openings 214, 216 and 218 permit brackets 210 to besecured in a position on shopping cart 150 to provide a certain heightfor holder 100 above an edge of the basket of shopping cart 150. Theheight of holder 100 above the basket edge of shopping cart 150 providesclearance for gate 154 to pivot upward when another shopping cart 150 isurged into gate opening 152 of shopping cart 150. In addition, theheight of holder 100 above the basket edge of shopping cart 150accommodates nesting of another holder 100, as illustrated in FIG. 4.Bracket 210 is located along a length of holder 100 to avoidinterference with a nested holder 100 from another nested shopping cart150, while providing suitable support for an infant carrier placed atopand/or within holder 100. The location at which bracket 210 is connectedto holder 100 can be provided as a pivoting connection to permit holder100 to be set as various heights above the basket edge of shopping cart150 using various vertical locations for vertical member 212 beingsecured to a sidewall of shopping cart 150.

Bracket 220 secures holder 100 to shopping cart 150 at a handle 156,using an attachment extension 116 that extends vertically from anunderside of holder 100 in a mounted position. According to an exemplaryembodiment, extension 116 is molded as part of holder 100. It should beunderstood that extension 116, or like attachment structures can beoptionally omitted or formed as part of a bracket and secured to holder100 using any type of common securing mechanism, including screws,rivets, bolts and the like. By providing extension 116 as a moldedportion of holder 100, an attachment of holder 100 to handle 156 avoidsinterruption in floor 106 of holder 100, for example. Extension 116 caninclude openings (not shown) or receptacles (not shown) for screws,rivets, bolts and the like to permit bracket 220 to be securely attachedto extension 116. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, bracket220 is a U-bolt, shaped as a “U” and secured around handle 156 with anut 222 and a bolt 224. Extension 116 attached to bracket 220 elevates abase of holder 100 above handle 156 to permit a shopping cart user toaccess handle 156 under holder 100 to be able to push a shopping cart150.

By providing brackets 210, 220, holder 100 is elevated above shoppingcart 150 in a location to permit holder 100 to be nested with otherholders 100 when like shopping carts 150 are nested. Brackets 210, 220also locate holder 100 to avoid interference with a nesting operation ofshopping carts 150, but providing a clearance for gate 154 to pivotupward when shopping carts 150 are nested in addition to avoidinginterference with a handle 156 of a nested shopping cart, as illustratedin FIG. 4. It should be understood that carrier 100 can be mounted inother locations on shopping cart 150, using brackets 210, 220 or otherattachment configurations. In some locations, holder 100 may interferewith shopping cart 150 being urged into a nesting configuration withanother shopping cart 150, or may interfere with another shopping cart150 being urged into a nesting configuration with shopping cart 150having holder 100. For example, holder 100 may be mounted within abasket of shopping cart 150 to lower a height of an infant carrierplaced on or within holder 100. Accordingly, a shopping cart to whichholder 100 is mounted need not be nestable with other like shoppingcarts, but can be treated separately from other carts by a manager of aretail establishment as providing the feature of an infant carrierholder.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an exemplary embodiment of an infant carrierholder 500, referred to herein as holder 500, is illustrated. Holder 500has a generally concave shape and is sized to receive any of variousinfant carriers (not shown). Component parts of holder 500 can each beconfigured to have a generally concave or scalloped contour, such asopposing sidewalls 502 or a floor 506, as shown in FIG. 5. Holder 500includes a rear wall 504 that is relatively smaller in height than afront edge 508. Sidewalls 502 and rear wall 504 are connected togetherto form a concave shape in conjunction with an interior lower surface orfloor 506. The concave shape of holder 500 provides lateral stabilityand support for an infant carrier placed atop and/or in holder 500 andgenerally in contact with and supported by floor 506.

Holder 500 has dimensions that are suitable for use with a majority ofshopping carts 150. For example, holder 500 can be approximately 18inches long, with front edge 508 having a height about 7 inches, and awidth of approximately 14 inches. An interior dimension of holder 500 issufficiently smaller than an overall dimension of holder 500, whichcontributes to providing clearances when several holders 500 areinvolved in a nesting operation, as discussed in greater detail below.Holder 500 can be dimensioned to fit within a basket of a shopping cartof given configuration. Typically, Holder 500 has a smaller width thanthat of a shopping cart to which it is mounted.

Holder 500 includes ramps 510 that are situated near side walls 502 andtoward front edge 508. Ramps 510 are arranged to have an arcuate uppersurface 512 that is raised above floor 506 and curves from a high point514 to a low point 516. The curved shape of surface 512 cooperates witha curved lower surface of an infant carrier to seat the infant carrierin a stable position with respect to holder 500. In general, asdescribed above, infant carriers have curved lower surfaces that cangenerally cooperate with surface 512 of ramp 510 to contribute topreventing the infant carrier from sliding or changing position onand/or within holder 500.

The radius of curvature of surface 512 can be in the range of from about50 to about 200 inches, as calculated using Equation 1. The length ofthe arc described by surface 512 can be determined from the angularrange (in radians) of from about 15° to about 25° times the radius. Theshape and size of ramps 510 generally acts to prevent infant carriersplaced within holder 500 from rocking or sliding by cooperating with thelower curved surface of the infant carrier. In general, ramps 510 andcurved surfaces 512 provide a stabilizing support for infant carriersplaced atop and/or in holder 500 to permit various models of infantcarriers to be uniformly supported and stabilized on holder 500.

Ramps 510 are shown as ending in protrusions 518, which form an abutmentfor an infant carrier placed in holder 500. Protrusions 518 contributeto spacing the infant carrier from edge 508, as well as a surface towhich holder 500 is mounted, for example a surface that is flush withedge 508, such as gate 154. Infant carriers often include a support basethat supports the infant carrier bed, and typically has a curved bottomto permit the infant carrier to rock when placed on a flat surface. Thesupport base also typically does not extend as far as the bed of theinfant carrier, so that the bed forms an overhang or lip with regard tothe support base. Protrusions 518, in addition to abutting against thesupport base of the infant carrier, provide spacing or an offset for theinfant carrier so that the overhang of the bed can be accommodated inholder 500, without the bed abutting against holder 500 or shopping cart150. Also, by contacting the support base of the infant carrier,protrusions 518 help to provide a more stable support and alignment forthe infant carrier, then might otherwise be provided if the bed of theinfant carrier were to abut against holder 500 at front edge 508, orabut against shopping cart 150, such as at gate 154.

Referring for a moment to FIG. 9, holder 500 is intended to be usablewith shopping cart 150 that nests with other, like shopping carts 150.Shopping carts 150 can generally be nested by urging a front of oneshopping cart 150 through a gate opening 152 of another shopping cart150, tending to urge a gate 154 of the other shopping cart 150 upward ina pivoting motion. The nested shopping carts 150 tend to take up lessspace, and permit a number of nested shopping carts 150 to be handledall together. Holder 500 facilitates use on nestable shopping cart 150by being mounted to gate 154, to permit holder 500 to pivot upward withgate 154 in a nesting action.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, holder 500 is shown in an exemplaryembodiment as having a number of through openings 530 arranged in floor506. Openings 530 permit fluids that might be collected by holder 500 todrain off of floor 506 through openings 530. For example, if holder 500is exposed to rain in an outdoor environment, holder 500 does notcollect the precipitation, instead permitting the rainwater to drainthrough openings 530. Similarly, if holder 500 is exposed to a spill ofliquid in a shopping environment, for example, the liquid can drainthrough openings 530 to avoid collection of liquid by holder 500. Theprovision of openings 530 also reduces the amount of material used toconstruct holder 500. It should be understood that openings 530 are notrequired, and can be omitted, or provided in any useful pattern toobtain the above-noted benefits.

Holder 500 also includes rails 540 located on upper edges of sidewalls502. Rails 540 are formed as outwardly curved portions of the upper edgeof sidewalls 502. Rails 540 provide a reinforcing structure forsidewalls 502, as well as providing a location for openings 520 that canserve as points of attachment for straps (not shown) that can form partsof a belt (not shown) that can be used to secure an infant carrier inand/or on holder 500. It should be apparent that other types ofadjustable or non-adjustable securing mechanisms may be used on holder500 to secure an infant carrier in and/or on holder 500. Examples ofsuch mechanisms may include harnesses, releasable clamps, elastic cordsor other elastic components, retractable stay bars, and any othermechanism that can contribute to securing the infant carrier in holder500.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, holder 500 is mounted to shopping cart 150with brackets 550. Front edge 508 of holder 500 includes throughopenings 552 that can accept mounting brackets to secure holder 500 toshopping cart 150. Bracket 550 includes a U-bolt with threaded ends thatare passed through openings 552 and on which nuts are screwed to abut anopposing side of front edge 508 to securely affix a portion of gate 154within bracket 550. Bracket 550 thus securely fastens front edge 508 ofholder 500 to gate 154 of shopping cart 150. Holder 500 may also includeplates 554 on either side of holder 500 to provide additional supportfor mounting and operating holder 500. Plates 554 may be composed of asuitable material that provides rigidity and support to at least certainportions of holder 500. For example, plates 554 may be composed of ametal such as brass alloys, or brass constituents, aluminum, or iron andiron derivatives and metal plated structures. Each of plates 554 can beconfigured to have a portion that abuts an opposing side of front edge508 to reinforce support provided by front edge 508 being mounted togate 154. Each of plates 554 can also have a portion that extends alongan exterior portion of sidewalls 502, where plates 554 can be securelyfastened at points 556 with fasteners such as nuts and bolts, screws,rivets, or any other type of useful fastener. Plates 554 can be arrangedunder protrusions 558 to provide additional stability, support andleverage for holder 500 when in use in regular operation, includingduring nesting actions for shopping cart 150.

Front edge 508 has a generally planar shape, so that a relatively largearea of front edge 508 contacts gate 154. This relatively large, planararea included in front edge 508 contributes to stabilizing, supportingand providing leverage to holder 500 when an infant carrier is placed inand/or on holder 500. Likewise, the shape of front edge 508 helps tostabilize, support, and leverage holder 500 when gate 154 is pivotedupward in a nesting action, and when holder 500 is in a generallyvertical position as a result of gate 154 being pivoted into a positionsuitable for nesting shopping carts 150 (FIG. 9).

Brackets 550 and openings 552 permit a certain amount of flexibility inmounting holder 500 to shopping cart 150. For example, openings 552 canbe oval in shape, or slotted, to permit brackets 550 to be movedin-plane with the plane of front edge 508. Brackets 550 are configuredto mount to horizontal member of gate 154, however other or additionalbrackets configured to mount to vertical and/or horizontal members ofgate 154 can be provided.

In general, holder 500 is mounted to gate 154 with brackets 550 at aselectable height. According to an exemplary embodiment, holder 500 ismounted to gate 154 at a highest extent available for accommodatingbrackets 550. Mounting holder 500 at such a location accommodatesnesting of another holder 500, as illustrated in FIG. 9. In addition,holder 500 being mounted to gate 154 avoids interference with handle 156to permit a user to easily grasp handle 156 to push shopping cart 150.It should be understood that holder 500 can be mounted, for example,using additional brackets (not shown), to extend and be located above ahighest extent of gate 154 or handle 156. Mounting holder 500 near a topof gate 154 provides the advantages of a reasonable height for placingan infant carrier in holder 500 for a majority of users, as well as alow center of gravity for the infant carrier with respect to shoppingcart 150. Such a placement of holder 500 also reserves the majority ofshopping cart 150 for products being selected for purchase, whilepreserving the ability of shopping cart 150 to nest with other likeshopping carts 150, even when those other shopping carts 150 include aholder 500.

According to an exemplary embodiment, brackets 550 used to mount holder500 to shopping cart 150 can include angular adjustment devices (notshown) that can be used to adjust the mounting angle of holder 500.Typically, an infant carrier has a desired angle of approximately 45degrees for positioning an infant. The angle of 45 degrees for theinfant is typically obtained when the infant carrier is rested on a flatsurface, or in a mating base used for a motor vehicle seat. The concaveor scallop shape of holder 500 promotes positioning of an infant carrierat a desired angle to obtain the desired 45 degrees for the infant. Byadjusting the mounting angle of holder 500 mounted on shopping cart 150,the desired angle for supporting an infant carrier can be adjusted on anindividual basis per shopping cart 150. Accordingly, such a mountingangle adjustment, which can be achieved using wedges (not shown) locatedbetween front edge 508 and shopping cart 150, provides a customizedmounting solution for obtaining a desired mounting angle. Such wedgescan be provided in different angular configurations to permit selectionof various mounting angles. Such wedges can also be combined to obtain adesired angle for mounting holder 500. Alternately, or in addition,holder 500 can be integral with shopping cart 150, such as by beingformed as part of gate 154. In such an embodiment, front edge 508 may beomitted, so that gate 154 acts as a front edge for holder 500 that isintegrated with shopping cart 150. In such an integral embodiment,angular adjustment devices can also be used to obtain a desired mountingangle.

Holder 500 is generally concavely curved in shape to obtain severaladvantages. The generally concave shape of holder 500 providesadditional security for an infant carrier placed within holder 500, asthe infant carrier is generally urged into a stable location by thecurved surfaces, including rear wall 504, floor 506, sidewalls 502,ramps 510 and protrusions 518. In particular, an infant carrier placedin holder 500 tends to be urged by the concave shape to slide downwardtoward gate 154 of shopping cart 150. An end of a carrier support (notshown) or an end of the carrier (not shown) is thus urged toward edge508 to abut protrusions 518. This configuration can thus support thecarrier in a stable position due to the urging provided by the concaveshape of holder 500 and the abutment against protrusions 518.

The generally concave shape also contributes to permitting holder 500 toperform a nesting action. Referring to FIG. 9, an exterior lower edgeportion of holder 500 is relatively higher than handle 156, due at leastin part to the generally concave shape of holder 500. When shopping cart150 is urged into another cart in a nesting action, holder 500 can rideover handle 156 to urge gate 154 to pivot upward. Moreover, suchpositioning permits holder 500 to ride over handle 156 when another cartis nested into shopping cart 150, so that handle 156 does not blockholder 500 from pivoting upward with gate 154 during such nesting.

When another cart is nested into shopping cart 150, and gate 154 ispivoted upward, holder 500 moves from riding over handle 156 to anupright position. In moving through these positions in a pivotingmotion, holder 500 avoids contact with another holder 500 mounted toanother shopping cart 150 into which shopping cart 150 is being nested,as illustrated in FIG. 9. The concave shape of rails 540, for example,provides a clearance for a rear edge and rear wall 504 of holder 500 topass by during nesting without interference between holders 500.

Holder 500 can also be configured to have rails 540 contact and slide onrails 540 of a second holder 500 on a second shopping cart 150 in anesting action. In this exemplary configuration, a first shopping cart150 is nested into a second shopping cart 150, as illustrated in FIG. 9,and rails 540 of a first holder 500 on the first shopping cart 150contact and ride on rails 540 of a second holder 500 on the secondshopping cart 150 during nesting. Since rails 540 are concave or scallopshaped, rails 540 of the first holder 500 can contact rails 540 of thesecond holder 500 on a curved contour to reduce impact. Rails 540 of thefirst holder 500 can then ride the curved rails 540 of the second holder500, which urge the first holder 500 into an upright position to assistin the nesting action. If the first holder 500 is attached to gate 154,gate 154 is also urged to pivot upward toward a nesting position, whichcan contribute to permitting an additional shopping cart 150 to nestwith the already nested cart 150. Rails 540 of holder 500 can beprovided with a hardened plastic or metal surface to permit rails 540 ofanother holder 500 to contact and slide on the hardened plastic or metalsurface of the so configured rails 540. It should be understood that anytype of material can be used for the surface of rails 540 to permitcontact and sliding or riding action by rails 540 or rear wall 504 ofanother holder 500.

The concave shape of rails 540 also contribute to reducing a height ofsidewalls 502. The reduced height of sidewalls 502 contributes tostabilizing an infant carrier placed in holder 500. Infant carrierstypically have a handle that the user can grasp and use to transport theinfant carrier. The handle is typically coupled to the infant carrier ata pivot joint on lateral sides of the infant carrier. Often, the pivotjoint is locked to prevent the infant carrier from pivoting when beingcarried by the handle. The pivot joints of the infant carrier typicallyextend laterally from the sides of the infant carrier and are oftenlocated near the bed portion of the infant carrier. By providingsidewalls 502 with a reduced height, the pivot joints of the infantcarrier are spaced from rails 540 of holder 500, to avoid having thepivot joints of the infant carrier rest on rails 540 of holder 500. Withthis configuration, the infant carrier is supported by its base on floor506 and/or ramps 510, to provide a stable support for the infantcarrier. The clearance from the pivot joints of the infant carrierprovided by the reduced height of sidewalls 502 avoids the infantcarrier being supported by the pivot joints. Such a relationship avoidsa less stable support arrangement for the infant carrier, where theinfant carrier would likely be able to rock or move when supported bythe pivot joints.

It should be understood that carrier 500 can be mounted in otherlocations on shopping cart 150, using brackets 550 or other attachmentconfigurations. In some locations, holder 500 may interfere withshopping cart 150 being urged into a nesting configuration with anothershopping cart 150, or may interfere with another shopping cart 150 beingurged into a nesting configuration with shopping cart 150 having holder500. For example, holder 500 may be mounted within a basket of shoppingcart 150 to lower a height of an infant carrier placed on or withinholder 500. In such a location, holder 500 may be below handle 156 andbe blocked from pivoting upward in a nesting action. Holder 500 beinglocated lower in the basket of shopping cart 150 may be free to pivotupward in a nesting action when shopping cart 150 is not nested intoanother cart, but not when another cart is nested into shopping cart150. Because shopping cart 150 with holder 500 in a lower position inthe basket may respond differently to different nesting actions, it maybe treated separately from other carts by a manager of a retailestablishment as providing the feature of an infant carrier holder.

Referring to FIGS. 10-12, another exemplary embodiment of the infantcarrier holder in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated.The illustrated holder is formed out of tubular material that can bemetal, such as aluminum or stainless steel, or other materials includingplastics and composites of fiber and polymers, or any other materialsuitable for providing the desired strength and durability forsupporting an infant carrier in harsh environments, such as is discussedabove.

The illustrated holder is similar in function to holder 500, as beingmounted on a gate of a shopping cart to pivot upward with the gate in anesting action. The illustrated holder is also scoop-shaped, or concave,to permit sequential shopping carts with the holder mounted thereon tohave clearance for a pivoting action when the gate to which the holderis mounted pivots upward in a nesting action. In addition, the shapepermits the holder to be urged upward, for example by the handle of ashopping cart into which the shopping cart/holder combination is beingnested. The concave shape of the holder provides a front edge that isgenerally higher than the handle of a shopping cart into which theholder/shopping cart combination is being nested when the holder ismounted to the gate of the shopping cart. With this shape, size andposition, the holder is able to pivot with the gate in a nesting action,as well as urge the gate to pivot when being nested, and can swingupward with the gate without interference or interfering with othershopping carts or holders mounted thereto.

The holder illustrated in FIGS. 10-12 includes support members thatextend from a front to a back of the holder near a centerline of theholder. These support members provide support for the infant holder, asillustrated in FIG. 11, near a centerline of the infant holder.Accordingly, the illustrated holder does not depend on ramps tostabilize the infant carrier, but rather a stabilizing centerlinesupport that fits infant carriers in general. For example, infantcarriers often have two curved supports at a lower portion to supportthe infant carrier being placed on a surface, such as a table or floor,while permitting the infant carrier to be rocked on the curved supports.The curved supports are typically implemented as runners, such as mightbe found on a rocking chair, with a gap in between. The support membersof the illustrated holder support the infant carrier in the gap betweenthe curved supports to provide a secure and stable mounting for theinfant carrier.

In addition, the outer frame of the illustrated holder acts to stabilizethe infant carrier while being supported by the support members. Theouter frame tends to retain the infant carrier in a position on thesupport members, and thus on the holder, to enhance the stability andsupport for the infant carrier. The size and shape of the outer framealso helps to urge the infant carrier towards the gate, or rear, of theshopping cart to provide additional stabilization, as illustrated inFIG. 11. By urging the infant carrier into contact with the gate orouter frame of the holder that is adjacent the gate, the holdercontributes to the positioning of the infant carrier in a stable andsecure location. This location is supported by the support members andtheir generally concave shape, and the gate of the shopping cart, aswell as by the outer frame of the outer frame of the holder. As with theother exemplary embodiments discussed above, the illustrated holder canbe provided with straps, buckle segments and/or adjusters to secure theinfant carrier to the holder. Any suitable type of securing mechanismcan be used, including those mentioned above, to secure the infantcarrier to the holder.

It should be understood that while the present disclosure describesvarious exemplary embodiments of an infant carrier holder, numerousvariations and modifications can be applied to the disclosedembodiments, or other embodiments, that should be considered within thescope of the present disclosure. For example, the infant carrier holdercan be mountable on or integral with a shopping cart. The protrusions orramps, such as protrusions 518 or ramps 510, can be provided or omittedaccording to useful configurations of the infant carrier holder. Theinfant carrier holder can be located within a basket of a shopping cart,or mounted outside of a basket and can be configured to face variousdirections, while being nestable or non-nestable with other shoppingcarts and/or infant carrier holders. Moreover, characteristics describedfor a given embodiment of the infant carrier holder can be applied to oromitted from other exemplary embodiments described herein. For example,one or more of the embodiments described herein can be configured sothat the infant carrier holders are stackable for purposes of compactshipping. As another example, the infant carrier holder may be providedas a plastic or metal wire frame that can be attached to or integralwith a shopping cart.

The foregoing description has been directed to particular embodiments ofthe present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that othervariations and modifications may be made to the described embodiments,with the attainment of some or all of their advantages. The appendedclaims are intended to cover all such variations and modifications ascome within the true spirit and scope of the disclosed invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An infant carrier holder for supporting ahandheld infant carrier on a shopping cart, comprising: a floor elementwith a top surface for supporting the infant carrier; a plurality ofsidewalls connected to the floor element and extending above the topsurface for limiting lateral movement of the infant carrier; and atleast one of the sidewalls being suitable for rigidly mounting theinfant carrier holder to the shopping cart and including an innersurface that is parallel to a shopping cart basket wall when the infantcarrier holder is mounted to the basket wall of the shopping cart withthe at least one sidewall.
 2. The infant carrier holder according toclaim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall is configured and arranged topermit mounting to a gate of the shopping cart.
 3. The infant carrierholder according to claim 2, further comprising the floor elementextending in an upward direction away from the gate of the shoppingcart, such that a handheld infant carrier placed atop the floor elementis urged toward the gate.
 4. The infant carrier holder according toclaim 1, further comprising at least one ramp protruding from the floorelement for contributing to supporting an overlaid handheld infantcarrier in a stable position.
 5. The infant carrier holder according toclaim 1, further comprising the floor element being continuously curved.6. The infant carrier holder according to claim 1, further comprising atleast two sidewalls being opposed to each other and separated by adimension sufficient to permit the handheld infant carrier to contactthe floor element when the infant carrier is placed atop the infantcarrier holder.
 7. The infant carrier holder according to claim 6,further comprising each of the at least two sidewalls including a topedge that is continuously curved.
 8. The infant carrier holder accordingto claim 7, further comprising a lip on each of the top edges of the atleast two sidewalls that extends outward.
 9. The infant carrier holderaccording to claim 1, further comprising the floor element beingcontinuously curved away from the at least one sidewall in an upwarddirection when the infant carrier holder is mounted to the shoppingcart.
 10. The infant carrier holder according to claim 1, furthercomprising at least one ramp protruding from the floor element forcontributing to supporting an overlaid handheld infant carrier in astable position, wherein the at least one ramp extends in a directionaway from the at least one sidewall.
 11. The infant carrier holderaccording to claim 10, wherein the at least one sidewall and the atleast one ramp contribute to stably supporting the infant carrier withina predetermined angle range.
 12. The infant carrier holder according toclaim 7, wherein the at least two sidewalls are sized and shaped topermit another infant carrier holder mounted to another shopping cart topass by the top edges of the at least two sidewalls when the anothershopping cart is nested into the shopping cart.
 13. The infant carrierholder according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sidewall isrigidly mounted to the gate of the shopping cart at a maximum height ofthe gate that is sufficient for mounting the infant carrier holder. 14.The infant carrier holder according to claim 10, further comprising atleast one protrusion on an interior of the at least one sidewall forabutting at least a portion of the handheld infant carrier when theinfant carrier is supported on the infant carrier holder.
 15. The infantcarrier holder according to claim 6, further comprising a height of theat least two sidewalls over the floor element being sufficiently smallto permit at least a portion of the handheld infant carrier to projectover at least one of the at least two sidewalls when a bottom of thehandheld infant carrier is supported by the floor element.
 16. Theinfant carrier holder according to claim 4, further comprising the atleast one ramp being continuously curved.
 17. The infant carrier holderaccording to claim 1, further comprising a securing device attached toat least one of the plurality of sidewalls and operative to secure thehandheld infant carrier in the infant carrier holder.
 18. A method forproviding a support for a handheld infant carrier on a shopping cart,comprising rigidly affixing the infant carrier holder according to claim1 to a gate basket wall of the shopping cart with the at least onesidewall such that the floor element inclines upwardly and away from thegate basket wall towards an interior of the shopping cart.
 19. An infantcarrier holder for supporting handheld infant carrier on a shoppingcart, comprising: a support member with a top surface for supporting thehandheld infant carrier, the top surface being defined by four edges andbeing continuously curved from one edge to an opposing edge; a sidewalladjoining each edge and extending above the top surface for limitinglateral movement of the handheld infant carrier; and at least onesidewall being configured to be rigidly mounted to a shopping cartbasket wall.
 20. A system for supporting a handheld infant carrier on ashopping cart, comprising the infant carrier holder according to claim19 with the at least one sidewall being rigidly affixed to a gate of theshopping cart.